Even Silly Kinds of Love Are Powerful
by akemi42
Summary: A response to the Valentine challenge from the Slytherin Society Yahoo Group. Severus Snape's annual Valentine ritual. Poem by The Cure Pictures of You


**Title: **Even Silly Kinds of Love Are Powerful

**Author: **Rachael

**Genre: ** Humor/Romance/Angst

**Rating: **G

**Word Count: **

**Summary: **A short little Snape Valentine fic for the Slytherin Society's Valentine's Day challenge. This one takes place during Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts before the end of Half Blood Prince on Valentine's Day. It starts off slightly humorous and light-hearted, but gets a little angsty, revealing the annual ritual a snarky Potions Master performs to get through the Muggle holiday celebrating love. Inspired by the Cure's _Pictures of You_.

**Warning: **None

Severus Snape sat at the teacher's table in the Great Hall sipping his morning pumpkin juice and surveying the despicable scene he was forced to tolerate every February 14th since taking up his post as Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He did not understand why any wizards bothered celebrating Valentine's Day, a holiday created by Muggle corporations to sell more greeting cards. To him, it was a pointless occasion that appealed to the needy and the overly emotional; however the majority of the Wizarding World did not share his views on the matter.

The ceiling, bewitched to look like the sky, was obscured by hundreds of owls attempting to make deliveries. Excited students absentmindedly shoveled down breakfast searching the avian traffic above for a familiar-looking messenger. Every once in a while, a loud squawk would echo through the room as two birds collided sending their packages, letters, and feathers flying through the air, sometimes landing in an unfortunate student's breakfast.

Even with the occasional mishap, the mood at the morning meal was cheery. Almost every student received something from his or her parents—a package full of homemade treats, some kind of trendy magical trinket, or just a simple card to remind them they had a loving family wishing them success with their magical education. Severus sneered as he noticed that even Harry Potter had received a delivery from the dreadful Muggle family he stayed with during the summers; this year his gift appeared to be a half-used spool of cinnamon red dental floss.

Many students exchanged Valentines with one another. A particularly popular item this year was an envelope that when opened, transfigured into a rose temporarily before disappearing into thin air. This trivial use of a rather complicated spell offended Severus. Surely wizards had better things to do with their time than invent gimmicky carnival tricks.

The older students, however, were Professor Snape's greatest source of Valentine's Day turmoil. Every year some lovesick fool would attempt administer a poorly-made love potion to their object of affection, and Severus would be assigned the task of repairing the resulting damage. This, of course, was not difficult for a wizard of his talent, but he preferred to spend his time on less menial tasks. In addition, he also found it to be a silly waste of valuable ingredients. Last week, he was forced to make an extra trip to Diagon Alley to pick up supplies with a generous "Valentine's Day Antidote" stipend Dumbledore provided for him every February. Severus shuddered thinking about all the other expensive ingredients he could buy with that money and all the time he could be devoting to the discovery and perfection of more useful potions. Of course, he also could be putting in extra hours with the Death Eaters spying on Lord Voldemort, but that wasn't what Dumbledore—

Severus' thoughts were interrupted by a tall figure dressed in shimmering blue robes standing in front of him. He looked up to see the Headmaster holding a plate of warm buttermilk pancakes on a bright red plate.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Severus," Dumbledore said, and with a wave of his wand, he transfigured the ordinary pancakes into heart-shaped ones and set the plate in front of his hardest working employee. Dumbledore had a certain twinkle in his eyes and he looked extremely pleased with himself.

"Thank you, Albus," murmured Snape trying to appear grateful.

"I know one day you'll appreciate that even silly kinds of love are powerful," Dumbledore said matter of factly peering over his half moon spectacles. Severus sighed and poured syrup over the steaming stack of hotcakes.

Fortunately, the Headmaster had other holiday duties and he was whisked away before Severus had time to take a bite of the breakfast, a dish he found to be far too sweet for this early in the morning. He grabbed his mug of coffee and retreated to his private room in the dungeons to escape from the distracting atmosphere.

Once inside the comfort of his living quarters, Severus felt slightly more relaxed. He had exactly two hours before his Double Potions session with the Gryffindor and Slytherin fifth years. He thought that would be just enough time to gather his thoughts. He did the same thing every year at this time and it was the only way he could become focused enough to make it through the day.

He strode across the room to the far wall in the living room which was completely covered by a large mahogany bookshelf. Severus located the fifth book from the right on the third row. He picked up the mid-sized brown journal bound in leather and tapped the cover with his wand murmuring the reversal of a concealing spell he had invented while still a student at Hogwarts. The cover of the book opened to reveal a hidden box containing a heavy envelope tied with a red bow.

Severus gently set the book on a nearby table and took the letter to his favorite leather arm chair in the corner of the room. After closing the thick, black curtains with a wave of his wand and lighting a candle giving him just enough light to read, he slowly opened the envelope and unfolded the parchment inside. A poem was written in handwriting that was precise and elegant at the same time:

_remembering you standing quiet in the rain as  
i ran to your heart to be near and we kissed as  
the sky fell in holding you close how i always   
held close in your fear remembering you  
running soft through the night you were bigger  
and brighter than the snow and   
screamed at the make-believe screamed at the  
sky and you finally found all your courage to  
let it all go_

remembering you fallen into my arms crying  
for the death of your heart you were stone  
white so delicate lost in the cold you were  
always so lost in the dark remembering you  
how you used to be slow drowned you were  
angels so much more than everything oh hold  
for the last time then slip away quietly open  
my eyes but i never see anything

_if only i had thought of the right words i could  
have hold on to your heart if only i'd thought of  
the right words i wouldn't be breaking apart all  
my pictures of you  
_

_looking so long at these pictures of you but i  
never hold on to your heart looking so long for  
the words to be true but always just breaking  
apart my pictures of you_

there was nothing in the world that i ever  
wanted more than to feel you deep in my heart  
there was nothing in the world that i ever  
wanted more than to never feel the breaking  
apart all my pictures of you

There was one more thing in the envelope: a worn photograph of a fourteen year old Snape, skinny and tall, a small smile spread across his usually sullen face. Next to him stood a beautiful young girl with long red hair and brilliant green eyes. The back of the photograph was signed.

_Severus, my first and greatest friend,_

_I will love you always. Even as I see you change, even as I watch you make choices which I fear will lead you down a dark path, you will always have my trust. And you will always have my heart._

_Love,_

_Lily Evans_

Severus swallowed, hard holding back tears. He took a deep breath and allowed himself to release a little bit of tension in his exhale. Just knowing that she has once loved him as he loved her despite all of his mistakes, despite all of his shortcomings gave him the strength he needed. He folded up the letter and returned it along with the photo to the envelope where it would remain until this time next year.


End file.
